Late offensive surge lifts Great Valley past Kennett
KENNETT SQUARE—For the first four-plus innings of play Tuesday at Kennett, it was a good, old fashioned pitcher’s duel between Kennett’s Maddie Bowe and Great Valley’s Morgan Orlowski. But the Patriots bats woke up long enough to put up six runs over the final three innings to come away with a 6-3 victory.
“This is young team, and this is the kind of game that lets them know they can play with the good teams,” said Patriots Coach Jeff Celucci. “It was great to see them bounce back today after a tough game yesterday.”
The Blue Demons got on the board with an unearned run in the bottom half of the first when Sam Weaver reached on an error, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on another error.
It looked like that run had a chance to hold up as the winner, as Maddie Bowe was mowing down Patriots hitters in the early going. Bowe carried a perfect game into the fifth, and a no-hitter for 5 2/3.
“Maddie pitched a great game,”: said Kennett coach Lauren Gottstein. “She always does. We need to do a much better job supporting her. We’ve got to focus and play the way we know how. We need to hit better, and we need to play better defense. Plain and Simple.”
The Patriots not only broke up the no-no in the fifth, the pushed across a run to tie the game. After Orlowski reached on an error to lead off the inning, Marina Nadwodny sacrificed her over to second. With two outs, Lilly Armand beat out an infield single to make it first and third. Harley Barlow then bunted for a base hit, with Orlowski coming home on the throw to first.
Kennett answered back with a run in the bottom half of the inning to go back up, 2-1, on singles from Kara Murphy and Jamie Wessels, a fielder’s choice from Weaver, and a bases loaded walk to Bowe.
Kasey Bryan (2 for 4, 2 R, 2 2B) got things going for Kennett in the sixth, leading off with a double down the line in right. With one out, Erin Bevec made it first and third on a fielder’s choice bunt, and moved up without a throw to make it second and third. Then, with two outs, Rachael Bullock dropped down another bunt, and when the Demons’ throw went into right field, both runners scored.
“It shows how hard we work in practice,” said Orlowski, who went seven strong for the win in the circle, allowing three runs—two earned—on six hits. She struck out seven and walked three. “To watch Marina and Erin put down those bunts at crucial times and Kasey and Erin come up with the big hits, it shows we’re starting to play like a team.”
Great Valley tacked on another pair in the sixth, on a single from Lily Armand, and doubles from Bryan and Bevec. Though Kennett notched a run in the bottom of the seventh on a single from Kylee Harvey and a double from Bowe, it wasn’t enough, and Great Valley held on for the 6-3 victory.
“We need games like this,” said Celucci. “We had some rough outings early in the year, but we’re starting to turn the corner. It looks like we have a good shot at getting into districts, and once you get in, anything can happen. Now I’m not saying we’re going to be winning championships or anything, but when you get pitching like Morgan gave us today, if you play well behind her, anything can happen.”
Great Valley 6 Kennett 3
Great Valley ab r h bi Kennett ab r h bi
Bryan—C 4 2 2 0 Weaver–SS 3 1 0 0
Rubin—3B 3 1 0 0 Wessels–C 3 0 1 0
Bevec—LF 4 1 1 2 Harvey–CF 4 1 1 1
Orlowski—P 4 1 0 0 Bowe–P 3 0 2 2
Nadwodny–RF 3 1 0 0 Oscar—1B 4 0 0 0
Bullock–SS 3 0 0 0 Albert–LF 3 0 0 0
Armand—1B 3 1 2 0 Smith—3B 3 0 1 0
Barlow—CF 3 0 1 1 O’Sullivan–LF 1 0 0 0
McCarthy—DP 1 0 0 0 Murphy–RF 2 1 1 0
McGarvey—PH/DP 2 0 0 0 Totals 26 3 6 3
Totals 31 6 7 3
2B–Bryan (2), Bevec, Bowe
Henderson 0 0 0 0 1 2 3–6
Kennett 1 0 0 0 1 0 1—3
IP H R BB SO
Great Valley
Orolowski (W) 7 6 3 2 6
Kennett
Bowe (L) 7 7 6 0 8
